Riding the Hogwarts Express
by Muffins-and-Magic
Summary: 19 years later, Rose Weasley and Albus Potter are readying themselves for their first year at Hogwarts. After hearing advice from their famous parents, Rose and Albus can't stop thinking about who they will meet, what Hogwarts is like, and what houses they'll end up in as they ride the Hogwarts Express. [Continuing at least through Albus' and Rose's 7th year]
1. First Year (2017)

**A/N: This is the first fic I've ever submitted to ! Please enjoy! I've been planning my ideas for the NextGen Universe for a while, so please keep an eye out for more stories! I may even continue this one... ;-)**

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><p>"<em>If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you," said Ron, "but no pressure."<em>

That was one of the last things her father had said to her before Rose would say goodbye and head off to Hogwarts, not returning home again until Christmas. Rose, who had been standing next to Albus' reassuring presence, felt a sudden pit grow in her stomach as her expression became solemn. She wondered if her parents would be disappointed in her if she wasn't in Gryffindor. While she was thinking, she heard her mother admonish her father, turning to the two first years and assuring them that he didn't mean it. Rose exchanged a nervous glance with Albus; he reached over to give her hand a tight squeeze.

"_Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains."_

"_Ron, for heaven's sake," said Hermione, half stern, half amused. "Don't try to turn them against each other before they've even started school!"_

"_You're right, sorry," said Ron. He added, "Don't get too friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood." _

Rose paled, but felt the tips of her ears grow hot. Without having to look at Albus for confirmation, Rose knew they must be bright red—a trait she inherited from her father. She was lost in her own little world of embarrassment when James came over to announce that he had caught Teddy Lupin snogging their cousin Victoire, who would be starting her seventh and final year at Hogwarts. All Weasley-Potters accounted for; Rose and Albus would be joining seven of their other cousins this year: Victoire, Dominique, Molly, Louis, Fred, Roxanne, and James. Teddy Lupin, a close family friend and her Uncle Harry's godson, had already graduated two years prior and was now training to be an Auror.

James had done what he was good at—commanding everyone's attention—so Rose was left for a few moments to think to herself while most of Albus' family was caught up in discussing Teddy and Victoire's relationship. Rose noticed that many of the children who had been on the platform were now already boarded. She turned to see that her parents looked ready to get in their goodbyes. Hugo stared open-mouthed at the scarlet engine, taking everything in. He and Rose had never been brought to the platform before, since they had no other siblings who attended Hogwarts. The previous year, when James was to begin, Ron and Hermione had gone to see their godson off, dropping Rose and Hugo at the Burrow to be watched by Molly and Arthur.

Hermione stared at her daughter for a few moments as if she was trying to figure out what Rose was thinking. Rose felt her mother pull her in for an embrace. "You'll do fine, Rose," her mother added, "No matter what house you end up in."

"And you'll have Albus with you to keep you out of trouble," Ron added, moving to stoop down and hug Rose tightly. Her father towered over her short eleven-year-old body. She thought she heard a small sniffle escape from him, but concluded that she imagined it. Ron released her, but kept his hands on her shoulders. "Don't forget to write us. The house won't be the same without you, Rosie." He smiled and ruffled her bright red hair, sending the short curls in a small whirlwind. Rose's heart clenched—she had been trying not to think of how much she'd miss home.

"Yeah," Hugo nodded in agreement. "I won't have her there to nag me all the time." Her younger brother threw her a cocky smile, and Rose reached forward to tug on one of his unruly brown curls that matched their mother's. "Hey!" He cried out and smacked her hand away. Ron and Rose both let out a chuckle while Hermione rolled her eyes.

"You'll miss my nagging, Hue," Rose said as she forced her younger brother into a hug. Hugo made gagging sounds in response and tried to push her away, but Rose had the nine-year-old in a death grip. Despite being annoying and nag-worthy, Rose would miss her younger brother. Hugo sighed and quickly returned the hug, muttering a goodbye under his breath.

Soon Rose found herself on the train, waiting for Albus as he hurriedly hopped on. They glanced around and noticed all the students and even parents on the platform were turned toward Harry. _"Why are they all staring?" demanded Albus._

"_Don't let it worry you," said Ron. "It's me. I'm extremely famous."_

Albus, Rose, and their siblings laughed. The train then began to move, and Rose saw her Uncle Harry walk along it, watching Albus' face. Rose turned to face her cousin and noticed the look of sheer excitement that was written all over his features. Whatever anxiety he had been showing earlier was gone, and Rose wondered if he had a talk with Uncle Harry. Once they were out of sight, she clasped Albus' hand in hers and led him down the train corridor, looking for a relatively empty compartment, as she had no idea where their other relatives were or if they'd even let the two first years sit with them. She could feel the eyes of other students on her, watching as she and Albus made their way past. Rose concentrated, begging silently that her ears didn't betray her embarrassment.

"Are we looking for an empty compartment?" Albus asked as they passed groups of fewer and fewer students.

Rose nodded, stopping in the corridor. "I just don't like being stared at like that." Albus noticed that the tips of her ears were pink, a sign that she had been very conscious of the stares their families had received.

He frowned—Rose was not adept at dealing with unwanted attention. He remembered the last time they'd all gone to the Quidditch World Cup, back when he and Rose were about eight, Rita Skeeter had made a short remark about Rose having "her father's unfortunate hair," and she had cried immediately upon James' reading of the article. Uncle Ron has thoroughly chewed out James for "exposing his younger cousins to the bloody gossip that was written about their family," while Albus' mother and father had worked to calm down Aunt Hermione, who was cursing and going off about killing a "vile, arrogant cockroach."

Albus walked ahead of Rose to the last compartment in the train car, glancing quickly through the window. "There's someone in this one, but otherwise it's empty." Upon seeing the look of apprehension on Rose's face, he chided lightly, "We have to make friends, Rosie. We can't be afraid of everyone now, can we?"

Rose frowned at him, but ultimately agreed. They had to attempt making friends—maybe people would see past their celebrity status and treat them as normal children. Having famous parents had led to an interesting childhood, but Rose didn't want to let that control her life. She preferred staying out of the spotlight, which was one of the reasons her and Albus got along so well—both liked to keep to themselves. Albus signaled her to follow him into the compartment, opening the sliding door and greeting the single occupant.

Her breath hitched as Rose realized who the other person in the compartment was. Blonde hair, sharp chin, grey eyes, and pale skin—this was the boy her father had pointed out to her on the platform: Scorpius Malfoy. Rose felt the blood rush to her ears as she remembered her dad's warning. Albus seemed oblivious to what his cousin was thinking as he introduced himself.

"Thanks for letting us join you. I'm Albus. Uh, Potter," Albus stuck his hand out, and Scorpius accepted it, giving him a polite handshake.

"Scorpius Malfoy," he returned the greeting politely. Rose felt his eyes flick over to her, and her ears burned as she desperately wished that she had never inherited this trait from her father. She mentally cursed.

Albus prodded her in the side and she started. "Rosie," he whispered.

"Oh," Rose now felt more embarrassed than ever. The boy across from her raised his eyebrows in expectation. "I'm Rosie—Rose," she corrected. "Rose Weasley." She didn't offer her hand to shake, and Albus sighed, sending Scorpius a look that said this was how she behaved in front of most new people. Scorpius merely sent back an apologetic smile, and Albus hoped it wasn't because he thought Rose was scared of him for his surname. Albus and Rose sat in the seats opposite of Scorpius, Rose choosing the side with the window.

There was an awkward silence as Rose determinedly stared out the window, trying to banish thoughts of her father's warning from her head and to get her ears to stop reddening. Sharing a compartment with Scorpius Malfoy was not getting friendly with him—it was merely being tolerant. So far she was not ignoring any of her father's advice. She heard Albus clear his throat.

"What house do you think you'll be in, Scorpius?" Albus had asked. Rose wanted to hex him right then. The boy was a Malfoy—it was obvious he'd probably be in Slytherin, although Rose's mother would hate to hear her judge someone outright like that.

"I don't have too much of a preference," Scorpius began. Rose glanced over at him, suddenly curious. She though he'd be a surefire Slytherin fan. "I think that, based on my personality, I'd end up in Slytherin or Ravenclaw." Rose saw Albus nod along, as if he had known Scorpius all along and that those houses would be the obvious choice for him.

"Why those houses?" Rose asked, turning around to face the boys again. Scorpius eyed her for a moment as if he was studying her. Rose suddenly felt like a specimen in a glass jar.

"Because I'm ambitious, and that's a trait Ravenclaws and Slytherins usually share," he explained simply.

"Rosie will probably end up in Ravenclaw, too," Albus commented offhandedly. Rose whipped her head around in shock. Why would he say that? Wasn't Albus hoping they'd be in the same house? They had this conversation before, and Albus admitted he didn't think he'd end up in Ravenclaw. Rose knew he really wanted to be in Gryffindor. Even if it meant he'd be dealing with James, Albus didn't want to break family tradition—though a few of their other relatives already had. Rose wouldn't mind joining any other house as long as Albus was there with her—even if they were the first Weasley-Potters in Hufflepuff and left to fend on their own.

"Really?" Scorpius looked at Rose, eyes brimming with interest. She tried to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. "I thought your family had a monopoly on Gryffindor."

"There are some of us in different houses," Albus clarified before Rose could ask him to explain why he said she'd land in Ravenclaw. "We have three in Gryffindor, one in Ravenclaw, and two in Slytherin."

Scorpius looked shocked for a moment. He had obviously thought, like many others, that the Weasley-Potter clan all resided in Gryffindor. The family tradition had first been broken with Dominique, Victoire's younger sister and Bill and Fleur's second child. She's very ambitious and intelligent, so it didn't surprise Rose too much that she ended up placed in Slytherin. Then Molly, her Uncle Percy's oldest daughter, had been placed in Ravenclaw. Molly was a hard-working and ambitious academic. She was currently in her fourth year, but the whole family knew she'd start her fifth year as a Prefect—the girl was incredibly similar to her father in terms of work ethic. Roxanne was their other Slytherin, and Uncle George had jokingly fainted last year when the family had found out. She was resourceful and cunning—the traits of a trouble-making prankster. She and Dominique were constantly defending Slytherin against their Gryffindor cousins during holidays, which usually ended up in a series of pranks between the factions.

Rose often wondered if the ambition Dominique and Roxanne shared stemmed from wanting to step away from their parents' reputations or from being overshadowed by their older siblings' achievements. After all, Victoire was beautiful, an amazing duelist, and budding herbologist. She was also a Prefect. And Freddie was Gryffindor's best Beater and incredibly talented at Charms, earning him a permanent place by his father's side at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes each summer. Rose sighed. It could be a difficult thing to stand out amongst the Weasley-Potter crowd.

Of course, there was also Teddy, who was now in his second year of Auror training and an honorary Weasley-Potter. He had been placed in Hufflepuff, like his late mother before him. Rose vaguely remembered Teddy telling her once that he had been hesitant to let Harry know, thinking that everyone would expect him, as Harry's godson, to be put in Gryffindor. She thought it was silly to expect children to be placed in the same houses as their parents. Rose may have her mother's brains and her father's moodiness, but she was not them.

"So we _could_ all end up in the same house then," Scorpius suggested. Rose nearly fell out of her seat—it almost seemed like he _wanted_ to be in the same house as them. She felt it was impossible that the three could all be in one house. Based on what she knew about Albus and herself, the only chance they had was getting into Gryffindor together, and Rose did not think that Scorpius Malfoy would end up in the house of red and gold.

"Maybe," Albus said noncommittally. Rose wondered if he was thinking of ending up in Slytherin with Scorpius. She doubted that Albus could survive that situation—James would probably tease Albus to an early grave.

"Why do you think I'd be in Ravenclaw, Albus?" Rose suddenly felt the need to ask. Maybe it wasn't the best thing to talk about, with Scorpius—still somewhat of a stranger to Rose—right in front of them, but she needed to know.

Albus sighed and turned in his seat to look at Rose. "Everyone knows how smart you are, Rosie. I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up in Ravenclaw without me." He seemed resigned to the idea already, and they had barely begun the trip to Hogwarts.

"Mum's smart too, and she was in Gryffindor," Rose pointed out. "And Uncle Harry is smart, and Uncle Percy, and Uncle George—and they were Gryffindors, too! You can be smart and still end up in Gryffindor!" She refused to assign herself to any other house other than wherever Albus was put. They had been a match set since they were born, and if Rose wasn't born a month premature, they'd have birthdays within a few days of each other. Neither had been separated from the other in such a way before, and the mere suggestion of it was enough to send Rose into a panic.

Seeing the look of fear on Rose's face, Albus cringed. He hadn't meant to send her into a tizzy like that. The entire car ride to the station James had teased Albus, saying he'd be placed in Slytherin, and part of the reason it bothered him so much was the thought that he'd be away from his best friend. However, the more he thought about the sorting, the more he realized that Rose probably would end up in a different house, and Albus would be left without her. A lump rose in his throat and he tried to swallow it down.

"I'm sorry, Rosie. It's just that I've been anxious about the sorting all day. I don't want to be in a different house than you," Albus reached over for Rose's hand, squeezing it for his comfort as much for hers. "You could be the smartest Gryffindor in history."

Rose smiled, although there was now a seed of uncertainty planting itself in her stomach. She felt like it would grow roots and bury itself there until the sorting ceremony. Scorpius cleared his throat once more and Rose realized she had still been squeezing Albus' hand. Her fingers left brilliant white marks that soon faded away.

"Sorry," Albus addressed Scorpius, apologizing for the both of them. "We've just never been separated before, and it's making us a little anxious." He ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up everywhere.

"You two seem close," Scorpius observed. He noticed that Rose had returned to staring out the compartment window.

Albus glanced at Rose, who seemed to no longer be paying attention to the boys. "We are," he nodded to himself. "Rose is my best mate. Our parents are all close friends—they've been since they started Hogwarts—and we all grew up together: Me, Rose, Ja—"

The door to their compartment was thrown open suddenly, cutting Albus off. Rose jumped in her seat, twisting around to see who burst through the door. A slightly older boy with dark hair, skin specked with freckles, and brown eyes full of mirth grinned at them.

"So this is where you two have been hiding," James Potter said. "Didn't mean to make you jump like that, Rosie," he smiled at her. Rose frowned at him.

"What are you doing here, James?" Albus asked, already sounding exasperated.

"I just wanted to check up on my favorite ickle firsties and see how they were doing on their first Hogwarts Express ride. Not motion sick? Homesick? _House_ sick?" James ticked each question off on a finger, pointedly looking at Albus at the last remark.

"I'm not doing this again, James," Albus warned.

Scorpius watched the exchange between the brothers before making eye contact with Rose. "His brother?" He gestured towards James, who finally seemed to notice the compartment's third member.

"And who's this? Made a friend already, Albie? Finally getting over the last eleven years of shyness?" James stared down at Scorpius, who eyed James uncertainly. Rose fidgeted near the window.

"Scorpius Malfoy," Scorpius sat tall, extending his hand towards James. "Pleasure to meet you."

"James Potter." James took Scorpius's hand and shook it with a tight grip. After his hand was finally released, Scorpius wiggled his fingers to get feeling back in them. James looked between Rose and Scorpius, his eyebrows knit together for a moment. "Don't get _too_ friendly with Rosie here, Malfoy. Who am I kidding, though? It's not like you're going to end up in the same house, so enjoy the rest of the ride." He laughed and began to back out of the compartment.

"Don't tell me who to get friendly with," Rose mumbled under her breath. Her narrowed eyes stared out the window with renewed intensity.

James popped his head back into the compartment. "Oh, and before I forget—if you ickle firsties need something, Louis, Fred, Roxanne, and I are about ten compartments up from you. Victoire and Molly are off in the Prefect Carriage, but they're boring anyway. And Dominique is off with some other snakes."

"Don't call them snakes, James. Dom's friends are fine," Albus chided.

"Who else is with you?" Rose asked, her short curly hair falling over her face.

James smirked. "You can ask about him by name, you know." He chuckled as he watched Rose's ears begin to turn crimson and her cheeks flush pink. "But to answer your question, Emmett is sitting with us. So is Rowan. Would you like to come with me to say a quick 'hello' to Emmett, Rosie?" James gave her a bright grin.

"You can go ahead if you want, Rose," Albus gently encouraged her. "Scorpius and I will hold down the fort here." Scorpius, who wasn't sure what was going on, nodded along with Albus.

"Just to say 'hello' to everyone. Then I'll be right back," Rose assured her two fellow first years. "If I miss the snack trolley, Albus, could you...?"

"Chocolate Frogs. Got it, Rosie. Go on ahead with James." Albus shooed her towards his brother. James took Rose's hand in a firm grip so not to lose her in the train. If he was embarrassed to be seen holding his younger cousin's hand, he didn't show it.

"We'll be off. Promise I'll bring her back in one piece," James mock-saluted the two boys and shut the door behind him. Albus watched as he talked animatedly to Rose while pulling her along the hallway, stopping to glare at anyone he caught ogling the two of them.

"So who is Rose off to see?" Scorpius asked. He had heard Albus' brother list off a few names, but he hadn't paid much attention.

Albus sighed. "James and his friends. Well, some of them are our cousins: Louis, Fred, and Roxanne. They're all in Gryffindor, except Roxanne, but she always rides along with James and them. Emmett Wood and Rowan Thomas are James's best friends. They're always causing trouble, and Rose—"Albus cut himself off, realizing that he was about to say too much. He cleared his throat to try to make the pause seem natural. "Rose likes talking to Roxanne and Louis sometimes. Yeah." He ran his hand through his hair.

"And that Wood guy then?" Scorpius asked with a slight smirk on his face. "She seemed a bit keen to see him, according to some obvious hints your brother dropped."

Albus sighed. Scorpius was more observant than he seemed. "Well, Rose's dad and Emmett's dad were both Keepers on the Gryffindor Quidditch team—different years, though. And, uh, my dad was on the Quidditch team with Oliver—Emmett's dad—before he went to play for Puddlemere United. So we all grew up seeing each other every so often while our parents socialized…"

Scorpius chuckled. "That doesn't really explain why Rose fancies Wood."

Albus' cheeks tinged pink and his jaw dropped. Scorpius had seen right through him and Rose, and now Albus was wondering if they had been good at concealing Rose's feelings at all. Maybe before James opened his big mouth, but now it was too late to change anyone's mind. Scorpius Malfoy knew Rose Weasley fancied Emmett Wood, and Albus had pretty much told him so. He felt an immense wave of guilt—no amount of chocolate frogs could buy Rose's forgiveness if she found out.

"Don't worry, Albus—I won't tell anyone. I don't care about who fancies who and all that," Scorpius said easily with a wave of his hand.

"Thanks." Albus sighed. "It's just…James knows how Rose feels about Emmett, and he teases her about it all the time. I guess he feels the need act like he's Rosie's big brother, too. Anyway, Rose is…sensitive, you know?"

Scorpius nodded. "She seems like the shyer of the two of you, to be honest."

"Rose has always been shy around new people. The fame part just makes it harder—it's tough to find people who genuinely want to be our mates because of who _we_ are, instead of _whose children_ we are." Albus once again ran his fingers through his hair and coughed awkwardly. "Most of the other kids we know are either our cousins or children of our parents' close friends. We never got the chance to make friends normally."

"I know what you mean," Scorpius agreed solemnly.

Albus' eyebrow quirked up at Scorpius's reply. Usually other children his age had responded with comments about how they'd love to experience the 'perks' of being famous and having members of Dumbledore's Army as parents. "You do?" he asked, and his voice didn't bother trying to suppress his surprise.

Scorpius nodded. "I do. Although I wouldn't say I've grown up under the positive attention that seems to fall on your family. For my family, it's a little more…negative." His brow creased and he frowned. "My grandfather's attitude doesn't help improve matters much, either, but my mother and father say to ignore him."

"Why do your parents want you to ignore your grandfather?"

"He's a former Death Eater. He lives for pureblood supremacy. My parents don't follow that outdated set of beliefs anymore—neither do I—but my grandfather isn't so accepting and tolerant." Scorpius sighed before continuing. "It makes our formal Sunday dinners a real treat; they almost always end with a tense discussion between Dad and Grandfather. I'm glad I won't be to one of those for a while." He gave Albus a rueful smile.

Before Albus could respond, there was a knock on the compartment door, and an elderly woman poked her head in. "Anything from the trolley, dears?" Albus glanced at the cart she was pushing. All sorts of wizarding candies and treats were piled on: Cauldron Cakes, Chocolate Frogs, Acid Pops, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Fizzing Whizbees, and more. He hurriedly grabbed a handful of Frogs for Rose and Pumpkin Pasties and Jelly Slugs for himself. Scorpius bought himself a pack of Sugar Quills and a Cauldron Cake.

"How many Chocolate Frogs did you get for Rose?" Scorpius asked, eyeing the small pile that Albus placed in the empty seat beside him. Albus let out a small chuckle.

"Rose loves chocolate. I guarantee she'll scarf these down before we're anywhere close to Hogsmeade. That is, if she ever manages to come back from visiting Emmett." Albus rolled his eyes and made a gagging sound.

Scorpius gave Albus an inquisitive glance. "What's wrong with this Emmett fellow anyway? Isn't he your brother's mate?"

Albus nodded. "He is, and that's the problem. Emmett's fine by himself, I guess. Dad says he holds all of Gryffindor's positive traits, whatever that means. Mum likes him because she thinks he'll eventually be a good influence on James, but I doubt it." At Scorpius's confused look, Albus explained, "Emmett's so loyal—he always just goes along with whatever James wants, because he's his friend. They're always having a go at someone for a laugh." Albus frowned.

"And you don't like when Rose spends her time with them instead of you? Because Rose is supposed to be your friend, right?" Scorpius ventured. Albus looked like his eyes were going to pop out of his head.

"Best mates since birth," Albus mumbled. "I wish she still had a crush on Teddy—at least I liked mucking about with him."

"Who?"

"My Dad's godson—sort of my oldest brother," Albus explained. Soon Albus was describing the complicated Weasley-Potter dynamics to Scorpius, who nodded along, taking it all in. Albus had just finished telling him Neville Longbottom was his godfather when the compartment door opened again. The boys looked up to see Rose, who had turned back to face the other person she was with. Olive skin, dark hair, and light brown eyes that were focused entirely on Rose—Emmett Wood had walked Rose back to their compartment and was currently saying his goodbyes.

"Thank you for walking me back, Emmett," Rose almost whispered with shyness. Albus could see the red tips of her ears.

"No problem at all." Albus watched as Emmett pulled Rose in for a brief hug. "Good luck, Rosie. You'll be fine no matter what house you're in—although I wouldn't mind if you landed in Gryffindor. Could use you on the Quidditch team with that aim of yours." He gave her a dazzling smile before issuing a brief nod in the boys' direction and taking off to return to James.

When Rose entered the compartment her cheeks were flush with color. She spotted the pile of Chocolate Frogs and shot Albus a grateful grin before scooping them up and tearing the wrapper off one, quickly popping it into her mouth.

As he watched her pull out a card from the package, Albus felt a small smirk grace his face. "So James had Emmett escort you back here? Couldn't find your way back?" He poked her gently in the ribs. Scorpius watched the exchange, trying to stifle a chuckle.

Rose swatted Albus' hand away and held up her head indignantly. "Emmett volunteered to walk me back himself." She finished pulling out the Chocolate Frog card and grinned. "Look! I got Dad again!" She showed the card off to Albus, who rolled his eyes. Despite the fact that nearly all their family members were featured on Chocolate Frog cards at some point in time, Rose was one of the few kids who still got excited every time she received a card with either of her parents on it. She excitedly handed the card to Scorpius, who examined it closely. Albus wondered if he was truly interested in it or just acting like it for Rose's benefit. He was just thinking about how he hoped they'd all stay friends when a voice overhead announced their arrival at Hogsmeade Station would happen in fifteen minutes.

"I'll just step out so the two of you can change then," Rose said quickly as she exited the compartment. She had arrived at Kings Cross already wearing her school robes. Albus wondered if James and his mates teased her about it while she was with them. He somewhat doubted it—Roxanne wouldn't have let the boys get away with it, neither would Louis, he bet.

In a few moments, both boys were dressed in their school robes, and Albus opened the compartment door to let Rose back in. Rose quickly grabbed another Chocolate Frog and popped it into her mouth before sitting down. "Artemisia Lufkin," she read the card to Albus and Scorpius. "In 1798 she was the first witch to become the Minister for Magic." Rose slipped the card into her robes, where it rested next to the one of her father.

Scorpius turned to face Albus after he watched Rose open another Chocolate Frog, this time letting it bounce in her hand before eating it. "You said Neville Longbottom was your godfather?" he asked Albus, who nodded.

"Yeah. He's a professor at Hogwarts—teaches Herbology. He used to be an Auror with Dad and Uncle Ron after the war. And he's married to Aunt Hannah, who's the Matron in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts," Albus explained. Although Hannah and Neville had been married since just before Albus was born, they didn't have any children of their own. Albus thought it was a bit of a shame, because he regarded Neville as a second father. It would be odd to have to call him Professor Longbottom at school.

"Albus likes them best because they spoil him at Christmastime," Rose said with a small smile, opening her fourth Chocolate Frog.

"You know my mum and dad spoil you just the same, so don't be acting like you're jealous." Albus stuck his tongue out at her.

"Harry and Ginny Potter are your godparents then, Rose?" Scorpius asked. "Why aren't your parents Albus' then?"

"Because James was born first," Rose explained breezily. "And when I was born, Dad insisted that Harry and Ginny be named as my godparents."

"This means that my parents give Rose twice as many gifts at Christmas and her birthday, because Dad thinks she needs one from Uncle Harry and one from Godfather Harry." Albus rolled his eyes. Rose poked him in the side.

"It must be a lot of fun to have such a large family," Scorpius said.

Rose smiled brightly. "It is, most of the time. Holidays and birthdays become huge affairs—always held at our grandparent's house, since it's the only place big enough. Although all of the cousins get crammed together."

"This summer Rose and I snuck out and slept in the treehouse. When we got in it, we found our Uncle Charlie passed out and cuddling a Quaffle," Albus laughed. Rose and Scorpius soon joined him, and then an announcement was made that they were pulling into Hogsmeade Station. The smile faded from Albus' face and was replaced by nervousness. Rose reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"It's now or never, right Albus Potter?" she asked, her voice quavering but filled with warmth.

"Yeah. Now or never, Rose Weasley," Albus replied, giving her a small smile. They stood up from their seats and opened the compartment door.

Rose turned to face Scorpius, her face barely betraying her nerves, and extended her open palm towards him. "Coming, Scorpius?"

He laid his hand in hers. "Right behind you, Rose."

And the three students left the train.


	2. Second Year (2018)

**A/N: I decided that I'm going to write one chapter for every year Albus, Rose, & Co. are at Hogwarts (2017-2024). The last chapter for this particular fanfic will take place on the train before their 7th year (September 2023). I don't know how often I will be able to upload a new chapter, so please 'follow' the story if you want to be alerted!**

**Thank you to everyone who favorited and reviewed the first chapter! 3 **

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 2: Second Year<strong>

Albus Potter felt the familiar sensation of passing through the barrier into Platform 9 ¾. He could hear James laughing ahead of him, along with their mother's gentle scolding. He looked over his shoulder to see his father walking towards him with his younger sister, Lily, who once again was upset that her older brothers would be leaving for Hogwarts without her.

"Only one more year, Lily, and then you'll be able to run around the grounds of Hogwarts with your brothers," Harry reminded her gently.

Trying to ignore his sister's yearly jealous breakdown, Albus scanned the crowded platform for the two faces he wanted to see the most. He quickly spotted the top of his Uncle Ron's head and took off at a run, forgetting the trunk that lay by Harry's feet as he made his way through groups of people. He vaguely heard someone call his name—it sounded like Shiloh McManus, one of his Gryffindor dorm mates—but he was focused on the short mop of curly red hair he was approaching. Ron saw him coming and smiled at him, prodding his daughter with a finger.

"Albus!" Rose Weasley quickly turned around, throwing her arms around her cousin and best friend. He quickly squeezed her back before releasing her to greet his aunt and uncle, who were looking at them in amusement.

"You're off acting like you haven't seen him in weeks, Rosie. You were just at his birthday party two days ago," Ron chuckled as he ruffled Rose's hair. The tips of her ears turned pink and her hands flew up to try to tame her hair back down.

"He ran off like he couldn't wait to get away from us," Harry said as he walked up to the small group. His eyes playfully narrowed at Albus, who gave a shrug in return. Lily had detached herself from their father's arm and was now chatting animatedly with Hugo. Ginny walked up shortly after his arrival, her hands holding some Weasley Wizarding Wheezes products that she must have taken off of James.

"Last year he looked like he wanted to go home—until he got himself on the train," Ginny teased. Albus lightly flushed with embarrassment. Ginny turned toward Harry, shoving some of the contraband joke shop products in his hands. "Carry some of these, will you? James' pockets were overflowing, and I want to limit the amount of owls we'll be sent from the Headmaster this year." Harry chuckled as he stored some of the confiscated material in his cloak.

"It won't be the same without hearing Mom's regular Howlers," Albus mock-whispered to Rose.

"Remember when he and Rowan tried to contain the one she sent after Halloween last year? And it exploded?" Rose giggled.

"And I don't think James' eyebrows will ever be the same," came a voice from behind the two second years.

Rose and Albus spun around. Standing behind them was Scorpius, slightly taller than the last time they saw him. Standing slightly further behind him were Draco and Astoria Malfoy, who eyed Rose and Albus' families warily.

"Scorpius!" Rose cried out as she greeted her friend and housemate with a tight embrace. Albus noticed his Uncle Ron stiffen as he watched their exchange. Rose quickly moved to the side as Albus stuck his hand out to meet Scorpius with a handshake.

"Hello, Rose. Albus. How have you been?" Scorpius asked.

"Better, now that I can see you without sneaking out," Rose said with a bit of tone in her voice. She turned back momentarily to glare at Ron, who pretended not to have noticed. Albus laughed.

"Next time we'll just steal over to see you," Albus said good-naturedly.

"Next time, Scorpius is allowed to visit without the three of you resorting to sneaking around," Hermione cut in, giving Ron a stern look. Scorpius' cheeks tinged pink. Albus saw Draco raise an eyebrow—it appeared that he wasn't aware of what happened when Scorpius came to visit Albus for a few days in July.

The three heard Draco clear his throat. "Scorpius, we'll say our goodbyes here, so you can get on the Express with your friends," he said with a drawl. Scorpius broke away from Rose and Albus to be pulled into a tight embrace by his mother. Albus and Rose giggled as Astoria planted multiple kisses on his cheeks before releasing him. They swore they saw Draco roll his eyes before Scorpius gave him a quick departing hug.

"We'll see you at Christmas," Astoria reminded Scorpius. She and Draco gave a polite nod to Rose and Albus' parents before turning and leaving.

"That's progress," Scorpius observed. Rose gave him a questioning look. "When they picked me up this summer, Dad didn't even acknowledge I had you two as friends." He smiled as Rose and Albus chuckled.

Albus saw his father pull out an old pocket watch and glance at it. "It's about time for you to get on the train," he remarked. Albus and Rose quickly said goodbye to their parents, Ron holding Rose for a little too long for her liking, which she grumbled about as the three made their way onto the Hogwarts Express for their second year.

"Dad's being weird again," Rose mumbled as she and the boys found an empty compartment and walked in. "He lectured me the entire way here about sneaking around—as if it's a regular occurrence!"

Scorpius and Albus exchanged a look. Albus knew Scorpius was wondering what happened to the shy Rose he met on the train last year. Rose had come out of her shell and was more comfortable and less guarded around Scorpius—being housemates had only helped. She was now going into a rant about how unfair it was for Ron to keep her from visiting Scorpius while he was at the Potter's for a few days, especially considering he'd be leaving for home the morning of her birthday.

Albus remembered how she had emerged from the fireplace at Number 12 Grimmauld Place and rushed into Albus' room, surprising the boys. They had only been able to enjoy a couple hours' time together playing Exploding Snap until Ron had come stomping in, red-faced and angry, followed closely by Hermione, Harry, and Ginny. Ron was so angry about Rose sneaking out that he threatened to cancel the next day's festivities for Rose's birthday. Harry and Ginny didn't even know Rose had come into the house at all, and Albus received a light tongue-lashing from them that sent James' into a fit of glee.

"I mean, it's not like I'm like him and Mum, who snuck off with Uncle Harry all the time when they were students, and—"

"Rose," Albus cut his cousin off. "Care to sit and join us?" He motioned to the seat across from Scorpius and him. Rose still hadn't sat down, choosing to stand and continue her rant. Her ears flushed and she quickly plopped herself opposite Scorpius.

"Other than your father's sudden interest in your newfound sneakiness, how was your summer, Rose?" Scorpius asked her, nudging her with his foot.

"I know you're really asking me about my birthday," Rose replied with a roll of her eyes. "Albus made good on his delivery of your gift—it was brilliant."

"It was a stuffed eagle," Albus moaned from beside Scorpius. "How is that brilliant?"

"House pride, Albus. Or are you upset that she wouldn't have appreciated a stuffed lion?" Scorpius quipped from beside him. Albus stuck his tongue out at him.

"That lion Luna gave you is a laugh," Rose said with a smile. For his 12th birthday, Luna Lovegood, a close friend of the Potters, had given Albus a stuffed mounted lion's head. Albus had Harry mount it inside Albus' bedroom, across from his door. The lion alerted Albus to any visitors, which annoyed James, as he could no longer sneak in to cause chaos without the lion roaring. Rose was enamored with it.

"I just wish I had another to put in my room in Gryffindor. That way I could be guaranteed one James-free place all year long," Albus sighed.

"He's not_ that_ bad, Albus. He just likes a laugh," Rose reminded him. Albus ignored her.

There was a knock on the compartment door, and the group of three looked up to see two pairs of blue eyes regarding them. A boy and girl their age opened the compartment door and waved hello. They had a slight daydream quality about them that always reminded Rose a little of Luna Lovegood.

"Ella! Edgar! How have you been?" Rose asked as the two entered and sat next to her. Ella had her long straight brown hair pulled back into a ponytail that she absentmindedly played with, while her twin brother Edgar blew his long bangs out from in front of his eyes before flashing the group a smile.

"Long time no see, mate," Edgar said to Albus. "Felt weird sleeping without hearing your snores." His eyes danced with quiet amusement. Scorpius laughed and Albus' cheeks held a light blush.

"I can't wait to be back in Astronomy," Ella sighed beside Rose. "Where we live it's impossible to pick out more than a few constellations, so I couldn't study at all over the summer." She fixed her eyes on Rose. "How are you finding the gift I sent? I'm sorry it didn't arrive on your actual birthday—Egeus was recovering from a wing injury so I had to wait." Egeus was Ella and Edgar's shared Great Grey Owl, and Rose thought it shared the same dreamy expression that was often on the twins' faces when they weren't paying attention.

"It wasn't a problem. Thank you for thinking of me, Ella. And the journal was made with some very interesting magic—I showed Mum, and she wouldn't stop poking around it."

"What did Ella give you, Rose?" Scorpius asked, curious.

"A dream journal," Ella replied. "If a person writes their dreams in it, the book is enchanted to interpret them for you. It's wonderful for when you feel like a dream is trying to tell you something, but you don't know what that is. I have one, and when I wrote in it this summer, it told me I was worried about my mum." Ella's eyes looked a little sad at this, and Rose placed a hand on her roommate's shoulder.

"I heard about what happened from Dad. Is your mother feeling any better?" Albus asked with concern. Ella and Edgar's mother, Fay Boot, was an Auror who worked closely with Harry in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Harry had informed Albus of her admission to St. Mungo's after she had been injured while on a mission. Albus didn't ask for details—Harry wouldn't have been able to tell him anyway, since most of the work in the Auror Department was top-secret.

Edgar spoke up. "Mum's out of St. Mungo's for now, but she hasn't returned to the Auror Office yet. I think Dad's trying to convince her to get off field work and take some office work for a while. They've been arguing about it since she came home. He even offered to get her a job at the _Prophet_." Their father, Terry Boot, had been an investigative reporter for the Daily Prophet following his retirement from the Auror Department a few years after the Second Wizarding War ended. Most of the Hogwarts war-era graduates who were extended job offers to become Aurors had left only after a few years of service, once the majority of Death Eaters had been rounded up. There were still many who remained working as Aurors, however, including people like Harry Potter and Fay Boot.

"That's too bad," Rose commented with sympathy.

Edgar shook his head. "Mum would never want to stop being an Auror. She said she planned to do so since she was a student signing up for her NEWTS and that she'd be an Auror until she was either too old or dead. Dad used to think the same way, but Mum said he quit right after we were born. Said it wasn't fair to us if we had both parents working dangerous jobs. Can't blame Mum, though—she loves being an Auror."

"Hey," a new voice called to the five students in the compartment. "I finally found you, Albus! I tried calling after you on the platform, but you ignored me for the Ravenclaws." Shiloh McManus mock-glared at Rose and Scorpius before he waved at the rest of the group and sat down in the spot on the other side of Albus, poking him in the side.

"I see your mother finally cornered you and cut that mop of yours," Albus returned the poke. Shiloh's hair, which had been darker and curlier than the sandy blonde hair of his older brothers, had previously been long enough to graze the tips of his ears when Albus last saw him. Now it was cropped short and Shiloh's brown eyes were visible without the fringe that had hidden them all last year. He also seemed to have grown taller, and Albus wondered if he'd be as tall as his older brother Corwin, who had been Teddy Lupin's best mate while they were at Hogwarts.

"She didn't," Shiloh answered. "We went out for my gran's birthday and I wanted to look nice for her."

"That's very sweet of you," Ella commented and Shiloh's cheeks pinked. The boys chuckled at his reaction.

Albus looked over to Rose and saw that she had fallen asleep, her head resting on the window. She didn't seem like she'd be waking up any time soon. He prodded Scorpius and nodded in her direction.

"Should we wake her?" Scorpius asked.

"We should let her sleep," Shiloh answered after a moment. Albus agreed. Rose had, as usual, stayed up the night before, most likely glancing at their second year textbooks.

"That's a shame. I know Brennan wanted to play a game of Wizard's Chess with her during the ride over. He's stuck on beating her in a match," Edgar mentioned. "Maybe if she wakes up she'll have time."

"I'm surprised she didn't go off to James' compartment," Albus whispered to Scorpius, who nodded in agreement. From beside him, Shiloh raised an eyebrow. Albus shook his head and Shiloh shrugged in response.

"Aren't she and Brennan also competing for the open Chaser position on the team?" Ella asked.

"I think so. There's a few positions open now that Alda Pucey and Fredric Mendel have graduated—one Chaser and one Beater," Scorpius explained.

"And you'll be trying out for the Beater position, right Scorp?" Albus asked.

"Maybe. Just so I can send some Bludgers at your big head," Scorpius teased. Albus had made it known to Scorpius all summer that he planned on trying out for Gryffindor's open Seeker spot. The younger Potter brother had even written letters to their former Seeker, Andrea Truman, for advice. When James—Gryffindor's new Keeper—had found out about their exchange, he teased Albus about fraternizing with an older woman.

"Freddie and Rowan will just have to protect me then," Albus replied. His older cousin Fred, now entering his fourth year, and James' mate Rowan Thomas, in his third, were Gryffindor's Beaters. James had practiced with the two all summer, along with Emmett Wood, who was one of Gryffindor's Chasers. There was only one truly open position on the team—Seeker—and Albus was gunning for it. He would even take a position on the reserve team if he had to.

"I thought I'd give the reserve team a go," Edgar commented. "Since there won't be an open Chaser position for a while…"

"Is everyone trying out for the team?" Shiloh asked incredulously. "I'd give it a go, but I'm awful on a broom. Guess I didn't inherit any Quidditch talent from Dad. Efron must have taken it all." The boys laughed.

"At least you're not getting rescued by the Giant Squid every semester," Albus remarked. Shiloh's second-oldest brother, Efron, was two years older than them and loved racing brooms. Unfortunately his desire for epic stunts sometimes landed him in the Black Lake, and Fred and Louis were always going off about how their friend and roommate had to be rescued.

"That's true! Mom and Dad warned him that they didn't want to hear about more than two Hospital Wing visits this year, or else they'd stop buying him brooms." Shiloh shook his head. His eldest brother, Corwin, had kept Efron out of trouble his first year at Hogwarts, but after Corwin graduated Efron was free to fly as much and as fast as he could—he was like a human Snitch.

There was a knock on the door, and suddenly James Potter was poking his head in. "Hello, sweet little second years!" he bellowed. Scorpius and Albus waved their hands frantically to shush him, but it was too late—Rose's eyelids fluttered open and she was awake in seconds, looking at James in confusion.

"Sorry to wake you, Rosie." James looked sheepish. "Just wanted to say a quick hello as I passed by on my way to find Louis. Feel free to reenter your state of slumber."

Rose gave James a small smile. "It's alright. I think I'll stay awake." She stretched out in the spot she sat.

"Louis isn't sitting with your lot?" Albus asked his older brother. James shook his head.

"The twat is off with Perrine. He had been sitting with us until she walked by with a group of girls in our year. Then he took off like the love-struck fool he is," James said somewhat bitterly. He wasn't happy when people ditched him, and Albus guessed that he'd probably left to go tell Louis off.

"Perrine, as in, Perrine Bendtsen?" Shiloh asked. James nodded. "She is _fit_. Good for Louis." Shiloh chuckled. With her large brown eyes and long wavy dark brown hair, Perrine Bendsten was considered one of the better-looking girls in James' year. Louis had been pining after her since she began her second year after seeing her tell of another student for terrorizing a first year, and he had finally asked her out in January. The two had been together since, usually off somewhere snogging. Fred had been slightly miffed at their relationship for the first few months, because Louis wouldn't go to Hogsmeade with him, citing that it was unfair because Perrine was a second year and couldn't come with. As a result, Fred became close friends with Shiloh's older brother Efron, who was one of his dorm mates.

"Oh, Rose. Roxanne wanted to see you. We're about eight compartments that way," James jerked his thumb to the right. "I think she wants to talk Quidditch with you…or about the newest Weasley addition to Hogwarts." Rose knew immediately that James was referring to their younger cousin Lucy, who was terrified of starting school. "Elyzabeth's with her, too," he added, pulling a face.

"And she's the other reason you left, isn't it?" Rose asked. Roxanne's friend and dorm mate, Elyzabeth Couman, and James did not get along very well. Rose thought it was a shame because the two were a bit similar: they loved pranks. Fred didn't like her much either, since her pranks were normally targeted at the two Gryffindor boys. However, the boys promised to remain civil around her because she was Roxanne's closest friend in Slytherin, and Fred would put up with anyone if they meant something to his sister.

"Maybe," James said cheekily. He looked down the corridor and gave a very friendly hello to a Ravenclaw girl who walked past him. "Well, I'll be off then." James headed off in the same direction as the Ravenclaw, who Rose identified by the infamous braided pigtails as Abigail Younge.

"I'll be back in a bit," Rose said as she stood up to leave. She went off in the direction of where Roxanne was, secretly hoping that Emmett Wood was also in the compartment.

"She falls asleep on us and then she leaves," Edgar observed neutrally.

"If Roxanne's asking for her, it's probably for advice about Lucy," Albus said with a small sigh. "Our cousin Lucy's been a wreck for the last few days. So far she's had a break down over what house she may end up in, having Uncle Neville as a professor, and just riding the Hogwarts Express."

"That's too bad. Doesn't she have a sister who's already attending?" Shiloh asked.

"Yeah. Molly, who's in Ravenclaw, but she's busy being a Prefect or something," Albus replied. Molly, who had received her Prefect badge this summer, had become hyper-focused on her new responsibilities, and had last been seen chatting with Head Girl Zoe Morgenstern. Lucy, feeling alone and ignored by her older sister, had attached herself to Roxanne and Louis—that is, until Louis left to be with his girlfriend.

"It's nice that your cousins look out for each other," Ella commented. Scorpius felt a small ping of jealousy as he realized he was the only one in the compartment who didn't have any close family members attending Hogwarts. He had two cousins on his mother's side—his Aunt Daphne's twins—but they were several years younger than him. He didn't want to admit it, but he was sometimes envious of Rose and Albus for growing up in such a large, fun family.

Shiloh suggested that they all play a game of Exploding Snap, and the five of them crowded around for a game. Albus was excited—after a years of Fred and James tricking him into playing, usually to try to get Albus singed by the cards, Albus had become somewhat good at the game. Ella opted out after a few rounds, pulling out a sketchbook and settling back with a piece of charcoal. Sooner than they anticipated, the elderly witch from Honeydukes was at their compartment and asked, "Anything from the trolley, dears?"

Figuring that Rose might be too busy comforting a distraught Lucy, Albus purchased a handful of Chocolate Frogs for her. He also bought a Pumpkin Pasty and a bag of Jelly Slugs for himself. Scorpius bought another bag of Sugar Quills and immediately began nibbling on one. Edgar and Ella shared a short glance before Edgar purchased a Cauldron Cake, splitting it in half and handing a piece to his sister. Shiloh politely declined from purchasing any sweets, pulling a small bag of homemade cookies from his pocket. "Mum made them for me," he explained sheepishly before digging in.

There was a small commotion outside of their compartment door that caught Albus' attention: Rose and Roxanne were leading a nervous-looking Lucy down the small hallway. He swallowed the remains of a Jelly Slug before sticking his head out the door. "Rosie? Roxie? What are you doing?"

Lucy practically ran into Albus' arms, hugging the boy around the middle. Albus heard Shiloh and Edgar chuckling and felt a blush of embarrassment. He wouldn't hear the end of this, he bet. Lucy looked up at him. "Please, Al! Let me stay with you!"

He heard Roxanne let out a frustrated grunt. "Lucy, leave Al alone and come on."

"Yeah, Lucy. Please? We only want to help you meet some other first years," Rose begged from beside their cousin. She shot Albus an exasperated glance.

"Lucy, I bet it will be more fun for you if you make some friends," Albus coaxed her. "Rose and I felt loads better after we met Scorpius. You should let the girls help you out."

Lucy, one of the smallest Weasley cousins, shook her head. Her wavy bright orange hair whipped around and her face scrunched up. Albus had a feeling Lucy would not be landing herself in Gryffindor at this rate.

"Please, Lucy? I won't be able to sleep at night if you don't at least try to make friends. I'll stay up with worry," Roxanne cajoled. Albus and Rose knew that she wasn't being exactly truthful with that statement, but Roxanne had a keen persuasive ability, and they hope it was enough to persuade Lucy into being a little less afraid and, well, clingy.

"Okay, fine. I don't want you lot to worry so much," Lucy mumbled, her cheeks bright red. Albus could see the satisfaction of achievement in Rose's eyes as she led their cousin into the compartment over. He listened to her briefly introduce Lucy to a few other first years before she walked back to stand next to Roxanne.

"Thank goodness that's over. I can't believe Molly couldn't take the time to help her baby sister," Rose grumbled.

"I'll have Dominique talk to her. I don't think Molly will listen to anyone of us who's younger," Roxanne mused. Her brown eyes narrowed in thought, and she absentmindedly tugged on her red curls. She had a set of brassy red curls that were small and tight. The years prior, she wore her hair in braids, but this year she wanted to go the natural route. The other day Albus had overheard Roxanne tell Rose that she liked the way it felt to have the wind blow through her curls instead of whipping tiny braids into her face.

"She's busy—new responsibilities and all that," Rose said casually. Roxanne rolled her eyes.

"You don't need to make excuses for her, Rose. Anyway, I'm off to go back to the gang before Elyzabeth and Freddie get into another row. See you!" Roxanne quickly hugged Rose and then ruffled Albus' hair before running back to her compartment. Albus and Rose reentered their own compartment, where Scorpius handed Rose the pile of Chocolate Frogs Albus had bought her.

"Shiloh's been eyeing them, so I thought I'd guard them for you," Scorpius explained. Rose glanced at Shiloh, who looked away in embarrassment.

"Would you like one, Shiloh?" Rose asked. Before he could answer her, Rose had tossed a sweet at him. He mumbled a thank you and she smiled.

"Cheers to second year," Rose said enthusiastically as she tore into one of many Chocolate Frogs. Albus and the others muttered cheers in response. She pulled out the card and smiled. "I got Mum!" She lovingly tucked Hermione Granger-Weasley's Chocolate Frog card into her pants pocket. Albus caught Scorpius' eye and grinned: some things never changed.


	3. Third Year (2019)

**A/N: Sorry it's been a bit longer between Chapters 2 & 3 than it was between Chapters 1 & 2. Thanks to everyone who's read, favorited, and followed so far! Anyway, here's Chapter 3, set in September 2019, when Albus, Rose, and Co. are about to enter their third year.**

**I promise I have a whole timeline dealio planed out, and that I will publish more stories in the Express Universe, because I have a TON of ideas and I didn't create like...100 OC's for nothing. ;-)**

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 3: Third Year<span>**

"What house do you think I'll be in, Albus?" Lily asked her older brother. Albus let out an exasperated sigh. Beside him, Scorpius chuckled. Lily had been taking turns asking her brothers and Scorpius this question all morning.

"I don't know, Lily. You'll end up in whatever house the Sorting Hat thinks you belong in," Albus replied. He had told her the same thing, word for word, each time she asked him.

"Maybe you'll end up in…Slytherin!" James exclaimed. Lily stomped on his foot in response and James let out a yelp. "I'm kidding, Lily! Jeez. We all know you'll follow the Code of Potter and end up in Gryffindor." James pulled his younger sister in for an affectionate side hug. Lily let out a pleased hum in response.

"Where are they?" Lily asked Harry excitedly, her eyes scanning the crowded platform. She saw a girl with braided pigtails send a frightening glare at James, who recoiled in response.

"Abigail seems happy to see you, James," Albus said with mock politeness, receiving a scowl from his older brother. James had dated Abigail Younge, a Ravenclaw girl in his year, from the second week of last September until January. However, she had one large flaw James couldn't overlook for long: she didn't like Quidditch. And so James called it off only two weeks before Valentine's Day. According to Rowan Thomas and a dozen other eyewitnesses, Abigail did not take it very well. Rose had later told Albus that the next time she saw Abigail in their common room the older girl had screamed that her cousin was a prat, scaring Rose into spilling ink all over her Defense Against the Dark Arts essay.

"I don't want to hear any fighting out of the two of you," Harry chided his sons. Beside him, Ginny muttered something that sounded like "That will be the day."

"Albus!" Rose was running toward her cousin and closest friend, wisps of her short curly hair escaping the ponytail it had been pulled into. When she saw Scorpius standing with the Potters, her brow knit together in confusion. "Scorpius? Did you come here with Al?"

Harry put a warm hand on Scorpius' shoulder. "Thought he'd have a change of scenery for the last few days, right?"

"That's right, Mr. Potter," Scorpius nodded in agreement. Noticing the piercing gaze Rose was now giving him and Albus, Scorpius motioned that he'd explain later, which seemed to pacify her.

"Hugo!" Lily exclaimed as her cousin and his parents came over. She threw an arm over his shoulder and began excitedly chirping away. He returned the favor with gusto, and the two extroverts were soon in deep conversation about their plans for their first year.

"Hello, Scorpius," Hermione greeted the young teenager, who seemed a bit surprised at the warm friendliness in her tone. "I hope you've been well since we last saw you."

"Yes. Thank you for having me over for Rose's birthday celebration. I understand it must have been awkward since—"

"Nonsense," Hermione dismissed with a wave of her hand. "We were happy to have you over, right, Ronald?" She sent her husband a small glare. Ron Weasley suddenly wore the neutral expression he had once used as an Auror.

"Anything for Rose," Ron replied, placing his hands on Rose's shoulders. This answer seemed to please Hermione, whose gaze softened. Harry let out a slight chuckle. Ron was slowly coming to terms with the fact that his daughter was close friends with the son of the man who bullied him throughout his years at Hogwarts. Hermione and Harry even managed to convince him to allow Scorpius to visit for Rose's birthday over the summer.

Soon the train was whistling, indicating that it was time for the students to board the train, and Albus found himself being kissed on the cheek by his mother. Any embarrassment he felt melted away with laughter when he saw Ginny plant a firm kiss on Scorpius' cheek as well. His best friend turned bright pink and mumbled a goodbye to Harry and Ginny, who sniggered behind her hand, shooting her husband an amused look. Lily was enveloped by Harry, who looked like he was trying hard not to cry. Ginny patted his hand before bending down to hug her youngest child.

"Write us all the time?" Harry asked his daughter in a slight whisper, taking her hand in his and giving it a quick squeeze before releasing it. Lily nodded assuredly.

"Of course, Daddy," was the reply.

Scorpius and Albus waited for Rose to finish saying goodbye to her parents. "Not my hair, Dad!" Rose cried out as she ducked away from Ron's attempt to affectionately ruffle her hair, crossing her arms over her head protectively. Hugo laughed at his older sister, but sobered when he had to give his own goodbyes to a teary-eyed Hermione.

James said his goodbyes last, promising his parents that he'd look after Lily. "And maybe Albus, but I don't really need to—he's got Rose, and she'd never steer Al wrong. She's always keeping him out of trouble…I think." He gave Rose a mock-suspicious look.

"She's really just waiting to take out your team's Seeker," Scorpius quipped, winking at Albus, who rolled his eyes.

"Says the bloke who almost gave me a concussion from a Bludger," Albus mumbled.

"It's part of the game, mate. Can't let Ravenclaw lose because one of my best mates is on the other team."

"And his other best mate is busy shooting the Quaffle past Gryffindor's lame Keeper," Rose said with a small smile. James, said Gryffindor Keeper, acted like he didn't hear her, but the tips of his ears turned crimson. He grabbed Lily's hand and started stalking off toward the train.

"How many points did you score against James during our game last year?" Scorpius asked Rose.

"Fifty—enough to make James sore. Between her and Dominique, I think James' ego took a large hit," Albus said. Rose and Dominique were both Chasers for Ravenclaw and Slytherin respectfully. This made them James' least favorite family members during games and both girls took a not-so-secret pleasure in scoring goal after goal on him. James wasn't an incompetent Keeper—he was certainly much better than Ron was in his Hogwarts days—but Rose and Dominique, after playing Quidditch at the Burrow for years with James, knew his weaknesses and how to exploit them.

Hermione shooed the group of young students toward the train. "Best better be getting on now." Rose watched her father comfort her mother as she wiped a tear from her eyes. Then she felt a tug on her arm, and Albus, her, and Scorpius were walking arm-in-arm toward the train to find a compartment.

Rose took the lead, peering into each compartment the trio passed, looking for the Boot twins or Brennan Finnegan. She hoped she'd find them soon—Brennan had written in his last letter that he wanted to have a go at her in Wizard's Chess during the ride. They also agreed to talk Quidditch, since Brennan was to try out for the Ravenclaw team again that year. During the beginning of their second year, Brennan had tripped down the stairs leading from the Ravenclaw tower and broke both wrists upon landing at the bottom, resulting in him missing tryouts. Rose felt terrible and had visited him afterwards when he was in the Hospital Wing, spending hours with him playing Wizard's Chess and listening to his dry humor.

"Rose!" The trio turned to see Brennan's sandy hair poking out of a compartment ahead of them. His grey-blue eyes were fixed on Rose. "Hurry on in for a game!" He stepped out to stand in the doorframe and wait for them.

"Coming!" Rose replied. Glancing at Albus and Scorpius, she grinned and tugged the boys along faster. Brennan stood aside as they entered the compartment, sitting down next to the window and across from Rose. Albus noticed that the Boot twins were also in the compartment, but Shiloh McManus was not.

"Hello, Albus," Edgar greeted him, a genial smile on his face. "Happy belated."

"Thanks, Edgar. How was your summer?" Albus replied. Next to him, Scorpius watched Rose and Brennan set up his chess set on the small tray table from the wall and begin a game. Ella was completely absorbed in a Divination book, and Albus doubted she'd come out of it any time soon. He wondered how Rose and she had managed to become such close friends—it was no secret Rose didn't care for subjects like Divination.

"We went to visit our grandparents at their villa for a few weeks. We almost missed our portkey because Dad was working on finishing an article about a jury case he received word on. Our mom really took it in stride though—usually she's the one working until the last minute," Edgar replied. "Sorry we couldn't make it yesterday—Mom wanted to spend more quality time with us since she doesn't get to take much vacation time."

"Don't worry about it, mate. I understand the exciting life of being Child of a Dedicated Auror." Albus rolled his eyes. He would need more than two hands to count the number of times Harry couldn't attend a family function due to work. To his credit, Harry never missed one of his children's birthday festivities, Christmas, or Easter holidays. Albus wondered if his mother had forced him into making an Unbreakable Vow.

"Mum actually went a whole year without landing in St. Mungo's. Dad said we should have a party," Edgar chuckled. Albus wondered how he was able to take his mother's dangerous job in stride. Sure, Harry was an Auror as well, but as Head of the department he didn't see as much action as he used to. At least Albus hoped he didn't.

"We got word the other day that Teddy received his first accident out of Auror training," Albus mentioned.

"What happened?" Scorpius asked, turning away from Rose and Brennan's game to face the boys.

Albus shook his head. "Nothing horrible—it wasn't even during an investigation. Dad said there was an incident in the filing room, and Teddy came out covered in tiny paper cuts. He must have looked ridiculous." He chuckled. "Wish I could have been there to see his face. Teddy's always falling about when he's not focused on something."

The door to the compartment was suddenly thrown open, startling Ella, whose book dropped from her hands and onto the floor. James Potter, now in his fourth year, stuck his head in, grinning at the group of third years in front of him. Albus bent over and handed Ella her book before he addressed his older brother.

"James, what brings you here?" Albus asked.

James leaned against the doorframe casually. "Just saying hello, is all. And to inform you that our precious baby sister has run off somewhere with Hugo—I assume to make some friends." He inspected a fingernail. At fourteen, James was now several inches taller than Albus, and his hair much longer and shaggier. Their grandmother Molly had tried chasing him around the Burrow at Albus' party, trying to cut his hair, but James had expertly escaped.

"Well, that's good for her, but why are you really here?" Albus asked, his guard going up. James never came by to just give him a friendly hello. Shoulders stiff, Albus was preparing for a prank or something equally humiliating.

"As I promised our father, the Chosen One, I am not here to fight. Roxie asked me to come and retrieve Rose—that is, if she's finished her chess date with Finnegan over there." James smirked and jabbed a thumb in the direction of Rose and Brennan, who had, until that moment, been very absorbed with their game. Rose's ears turned pink.

"It's just a game between friends, Potter. No need to get jealous of your cousin spending time with her housemate," Brennan addressed James curtly, his complexion neutral.

"You wound me," James said mockingly, placing his hand on his heart. "So, Rosie, our little posse is only six compartments away. Louis is off at the Prefects meeting, but all of your other favorite people are there, including your _favorite_ Potter cousin."

"Hey!" Albus exclaimed. "I'm Rosie's favorite Potter, if anything. We are _best mates,_ James." He crossed his arms and sent a glare at his brother.

"It's alright, Albus," Rose said as she stood up from her game. Scorpius noticed that Brennan looked slightly dejected at the loss of his chess partner. He thought of offering to play a few games with his roommate to cheer him up. "I'll be back before we arrive at the station," Rose told the group in the compartment before playfully shoving James out of the doorframe. "Let's go, Jim."

Albus watched as James pretended to flail about before recovering and giving Rose a mock-salute. "Yes, Rosie dear. And you can bet I'll be sure to tell Emmett what a brute you've been to me," James teased. Rose grabbed James by his sweater and tugged him along, but Albus could see that her ears were pink.

Scorpius stood and took Rose's former seat across from Brennan, who was now staring out the window. "Care for a new partner, mate?" The other boy shook his head.

"No thanks, Scorpius. Maybe in a few, though," Brennan replied, his eyes not leaving the scenery. Scorpius caught Albus' eye, but he only shrugged. Their group had become awkwardly silent for a few moments before another familiar head popped in.

"Finally! I've been looking up and down the train for you," Shiloh McManus said as he entered the compartment. "Passed Rose and the Elder Potter on the way and she pointed me to where you were all at." Scorpius saw Brennan frown at the mention of Rose's name, but it seems like no one else had noticed.

"_Elder Potter_?" Albus parroted. Beside him, Edgar let out a low chuckle.

Shiloh shrugged and sat in the now-empty seat between Albus and Brennan. Across from him, Ella went back to reading the book that she had dropped minutes earlier. "He is your older brother, yeah? So he's the Elder Potter," Shiloh explained easily. "Why does Rose go off with him all the time? I thought you were her best mate, mate."

Albus sighed. To be honest, it bothered him a bit that Rose would run off and muck about with James, Roxanne, and their friends instead of hanging around with him and Scorpius. Ever since James noticed her crush on his friend Emmett, he had been asking Rose to spend time with them. He doubted his older brother would ever tell anyone, but Albus thought James secretly wants the two to eventually get together. Rose is too shy to do anything about it, though, and Albus was certain that Emmett viewed her as Rose, James' cousin instead of Rose, cute and available girl. However, he'd never say that to Rose.

Shiloh waved his hand in front of Albus' face. "Mate? You in there?"

"Sorry, Shiloh. Just started thinking about something. Anyway, Rose is one of my best mates, but James and Roxie like taking her under their wing for whatever reason," Albus replied. He saw Scorpius raise a brow but say nothing. Both boys knew the real reason was so that Rose could be closer to Emmett, but they weren't going to tell any of their other friends that.

"I'm going to the loo," Brennan said abruptly as he stood up and exited the compartment. Scorpius stared after him with concern.

"Do either of you know what's gotten into him?" Edgar asked. The other boys in the compartment shrugged.

"Isn't it obvious? Brennan fancies Rose," Ella suddenly said, not bothering to look up from her book. Albus and Shiloh were gobsmacked. Edgar and Scorpius looked more thoughtful, as if they were mulling it over.

"Brennan Finnegan fancies Rose, as in my cousin, Rose Weasley?" Albus asked aghast. He looked towards Scorpius as if for confirmation. Ella earmarked the page she was on before placing her book in her lap and looking up at Albus.

"Brennan is always stealing glances at her in class or in the common room. When he makes jokes, he looks at Rose first to see if she's laughing. And finally, he frequently seeks out Rose to play chess and purposely plays poorly so he can spend as much time with her as possible. He could beat her if he wanted to, but he doesn't." As Ella spoke, she counted each sentence off a finger.

"How do you know all of that?" Albus' eyebrows were knit together. "I'd like to think we all spend enough time together—how come I didn't notice any of it?"

"It's not obvious to everyone, Albus. Although your brother seemed to pick up on it…" Ella trailed off. Albus' cheeks reddened. He couldn't believe that James, who didn't even know Brennan that well, had picked up on his crush on Rose in the few seconds he'd been in their compartment. Albus suddenly felt a pang of jealousy. Rose was one of his best mates—shouldn't he notice when blokes were interested in her? He didn't even know when Rose and Brennan had become friends. Albus could only remember Brennan as one of Scorpius' other mates.

"They're mates because of his accident last year," Scorpius told Albus, as if he could read his mind. "When Brennan broke his wrists before trying out for the team, Rose spent a lot of time with him in the Hospital Wing—don't you remember? And she gave him copies of her notes because he couldn't hold a quill for long. She felt guilty for making the team when he couldn't try out."

"So you saw this coming, too then?" Albus asked. He felt the jealousy infect his voice.

Scorpius held up his hands. "I was just starting to figure it out today. Brennan hasn't said a word to me about fancying Rose. I'm only putting the past pieces together, mate. I would have told you if I was sure anything was going on." This seemed to placate Albus for the moment, and he leaned back into the cushion of the compartment bench.

"Well, I didn't see any of this coming at all, Al," Shiloh piped up from next to him.

"You don't really understand romance, though, Shiloh. I think most of it flies over your head," Edgar said with a small laugh. Shiloh's cheeks pinked.

The compartment door opened and Brennan reappeared, looking a little calmer and happier than when he left. The group exchanged a series of glances that were meant to convey that none of them would mention Brennan's now-known feelings for Rose. Scorpius greeted his friend and dorm mate with a smile. "Glad to see you back, mate. Now we're not outnumbered anymore," he said congenially.

Brennan scratched his neck. "Yeah, can't be outstripped by these pompous Gryffindors. Their combined egos may suffocate you." He gave a small smirk before taking a seat on the other side of Shiloh, facing Scorpius. Before any of the Gryffindors in the compartment could reply, Brennan was resetting the board and asking Scorpius to play a game of chess with him.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" A now-familiar voice called from the corridor. As usual, Albus purchased his bag of Jelly Slugs and a half-dozen Chocolate Frogs for Rose. Scorpius grabbed a bag of Sugar Quills and handed one to Brennan. Edgar and Ella split a Cauldron Cake, which Albus thought must have been some kind of secret twin ritual. Shiloh declined, mentioning something about home-baked goods from his mother.

"Is Rose ever going to be here to buy her own Chocolate Frogs?" Scorpius asked Albus in amusement. True, every year Rose seemed to be whisked away to another compartment, missing when the boys would buy their sweets. Albus shrugged in response.

"All I know is that if I ever fail to grab some of these for Rose," he paused to motion to the Chocolate Frogs in his lap, "She will never forgive me. I am convinced that I rank below chocolate in order of importance." He ripped into a Jelly Slug, getting some of the candy juice on his face.

"That's very attractive, Albus," Edgar snorted from across him. Ella dug a tissue out of her jacket pocket and handed it to Albus wordlessly.

"Thanks, Ella. Bugger off, Edgar." Albus stuck his tongue out at his friend.

The compartment door slid open and Rose appeared. "I'm back—oh! You're full up now." She frowned. "I could just go back and sit with James and his mates."

"No," Brennan said, looking up from the chess board. "You can have my spot, Rose."

"But aren't you and Scorpius in the middle of a game? I wouldn't want to—"

"Rose, you can have my seat," Shiloh interrupted her. "I can just sit on the floor. I don't mind." His cheeks turned pink—Albus supposed Shiloh was still a bit awkward around girls. He stood up and ushered Rose to where he had been sitting before sitting on the floor in front of Ella.

"Thank you," Rose replied. Scorpius looked over the chess board at Brennan, who sported a small smile as Rose was now sitting between him and Albus.

"Here are your Frogs, Rosie," Albus said as he dumped the small packages in her outstretched hands. "Now tell me, would your _favorite _Potter reliably purchase you Chocolate Frogs every year without fail?"

Rose shook her head and laughed. "Al, you are fully aware that you are my best mate _and _favorite cousin. No amount of time I spend with James and Roxie will change that—as long as you keep the Chocolate Frogs coming." She tossed a Frog to Shiloh on the floor, who barely managed to catch it before it would have hit him in the face. "That's for being a gentleman and giving me your seat," Rose said, smiling. Shiloh's face lit up pink and he quickly looked down at the candy in his hand so the others wouldn't see.

"No problem. Can't let a girl in a skirt sit on the ground. Besides, you were here first," Shiloh mumbled.

Scorpius watched Brennan as he tried to subtly gaze at Rose, who was opening one of her five remaining Chocolate Frogs. Brennan's eyes narrowed and Scorpius turned to look at Rose, whose eyes were shining with unshed tears.

"Rosie? What's the matter?" Albus asked. Rose was staring at the Chocolate Frog card in her hands. She let out a small sniffle, and suddenly all the eyes in the compartment were on her.

"I got Uncle Fred," she whispered. Scorpius' eyes widened. He had known that Rose and Albus had an uncle who had died during the Battle of Hogwarts. Albus grabbed onto Rose's free hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"It's okay, Rosie. I can get rid of it if you—"

"No," Rose interrupted her cousin. "I want to keep it." She wiped her sleeve across her eyes and then tucked the card carefully into the breast pocket of her denim vest. Rose gave Albus a small smile that he returned. She turned to spectate as Scorpius and Brennan resumed their game.

"Oi, Al, want to pass a mate a Jelly Slug?" Shiloh asked from his place on the floor. "I'll trade you one of my mum's biscuits."

"Sure thing." Albus handed Shiloh a few Slugs in exchange for a chocolate biscuit. "Your mum makes the best sweets," he said as he popped the biscuit into his mouth.

"Thanks. Maybe if I tell her Albus Potter, second son of the Chosen One likes them, she'll send more this term." Shiloh sent a dramatic wink at Albus, who rolled his eyes good-naturedly. Edgar reached over Shiloh to pluck a biscuit from the tin.

"Oi! Boot! Get your bloody hands off 'em!" Shiloh cried as he tried to swat Edgar's hand away. "You didn't even ask, mate!"

"Sorry," Edgar mumbled as he stuffed a biscuit into his mouth. He swallowed and gave Shiloh an innocent smile. "Won't happen again."

Shiloh gave Edgar a look of indignation before turning back to face Albus. "I think I liked him better when he was quiet and didn't steal food from me." Albus laughed.

As he continued his game with Brennan, Scorpius noticed Rose's head starting to droop over the boy's shoulder. He looked between Rose, whose eyelids were fluttering shut, and Brennan, whose cheeks were a bit pink. The two boys made eye contact and Scorpius winked. Brennan ignored him as he ordered his Queen to take Scorpius' Knight. When the Knight had been pulled from the board and Scorpius made his next move, he glanced at Rose again to see that she was now definitely asleep and snuggled against Brennan's shoulder.

Shiloh looked up at the two Ravenclaws from his position on the ground. "Every year," he said to himself. Edgar looked away from Albus, who he had been conversing with about their new electives, and at Rose.

"Rose Weasley: falls asleep on the train, runs off with James Potter, and eats Chocolate Frogs," Edgar listed. Albus nodded in agreement: Rose had formed a bit of a habit.

Ella looked up from her book. "Rose was probably up half the night reading. She told me she received an awful lot of books for her birthday this year."

"She was actually up half the night with Hugo, who would not stop pestering her," Albus chimed in. Rose had sent him a late-night owl complaining that Hugo, who was more than excited to be starting his first year at Hogwarts, wouldn't leave her room. "Rose had to beat him in a chess match to get him to let her sleep." Albus was glad that his younger sister, Lily, had chosen to spend the night in James' room instead of with Albus.

"Does everyone in your family play Wizard's chess?" Shiloh asked from his spot on the floor. Albus shook his head.

"Well, Rose, Hugo, and Uncle Ron play all the time. Sometimes my dad will play, but he complains because Uncle Ron and Rose always beat him. And Hugo's really good for an eleven-year-old—I can't even play him for long before he beats me. Um, Uncle Bill, Uncle Percy and my cousin Molly play sometimes. Oh, and my other cousin, Louis. Grandpa Arthur is the one who taught Uncle Ron, so…" Albus looked around. "It sounds like a lot, but it's really not even half of everyone."

"I learned from my dad," Brennan commented as his Rook took down one of Scorpius' Pawns, dragging it to the end of the board.

"Same here," Scorpius said. "Why don't you play, Al?" Albus shrugged.

"I'm just not really interested in it—it doesn't mean Rose hasn't tried to get me to play before, though. I'd rather play Exploding Snap," Albus replied. Brennan and Scorpius shot him a look like he was missing out.

Suddenly they were arriving at Hogsmeade Station. Brennan shot Scorpius an uncharacteristically frantic look—Rose was still asleep on his shoulder. Scorpius took to putting away the chess set for Brennan while Albus looked like he was about to shake his cousin awake.

"Leave her for a bit, Albus. Train hasn't stopped just yet," Shiloh said from the floor. It was for naught though, as the train whistle blew and Rose began to stir awake. She lifted her cheek from Brennan's shoulder and made eye contact with her housemate, who she realized she was in very close proximity to. Albus watched from Rose's other side as her ears turned a light pink.

"Oh! Brennan! Sorry for falling asleep on you like that. Did you—did I disrupt your game?" Rose asked concernedly. Brennan waved her off.

"No, Rose. We weren't going to finish anyway. And don't worry about falling asleep on me—I didn't—I don't mind." He gave Rose a shy smile.

"Well, thank you," Rose returned the smile and stood to retrieve her bag from the luggage rack above the seats.

"Oi! Come on, you two! We'll miss the carriages!" Albus hollered from the hallway. Rose rolled her eyes before taking off after her cousin, Brennan Finnegan close behind.

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><p><strong>AN: Yeah, I _know_...Rose, at this point, still has a crush on James' best friend, Emmett Wood. And we know Brennan Finnegan has a crush on Rose. And who knows? Crushes don't always last when you're thirteen. There's still a lot of time left for all these kids to grow up, and not everyone finds their "endgame" romance before they're seventeen. Or at least...no one _realizes_ they've found the person they'll be with forever before they're seventeen. Oh-ho-ho.**

**Eventually, either through later chapters here or in other stories from the Express-verse, you'll find out what happens during the school year, or the train ride back from Hogwarts, or during winter and summer breaks, etc.**


	4. Fourth Year (2020)

**A/N: Apologies for the later-than-usual upload time. I've just been having a hard time hashing this chapter out, so I spent a few weeks worldbuilding and brainstorming other related stories for the Express Universe. :-)**

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 4; Fourth Year<strong>

"Rosie, do you want me to carry that owl for you?" Ron asked his daughter for the third time that morning. Rose let out an exasperated sigh as they followed Hermione and Hugo through the barrier.

"Dad, I can carry him just fine! See?" Rose said indignantly as she lifted up the owl's cage. Inside, a long-eared owl peered at Rose with its orange eyes. Despite it being late morning, the owl—which Rose had named Nestor—was awake, if not completely alert.

"Alright, alright," Ron replied. He went to ruffle Rose's hair and she expertly ducked away.

"Scorpius!" Rose called out as she saw one of her best friends on the platform. Scorpius was standing with Draco and Astoria Malfoy, obviously looking around the platform for a sign of Rose or Albus. He grinned when his eyes landed on Rose and walked over to where she was standing with her parents. Hugo had already separated from his family to run off and drop his things on the train.

"Rose! It's been too long," Scorpius said with a smirk.

"Ah, yes. Two whole days have passed since Al's birthday extravaganza—our last encounter. How have I survived without you?" Rose quipped as she went in for a quick hug.

"'Lo, Scorpius. How's the shoulder doing?" Ron said in greeting with a small smile. Ever since February, Ron had really warmed up to Scorpius, and Rose was relieved. She just wished her father's newfound liking for Scorpius didn't occur because of a Quidditch accident.

Scorpius shook Ron's outstretched hand. "I'm fine, Mr. Weasley. I can't wait to get back on the pitch to knock your nephew off his broom."

Rose gave a small laugh but soon felt immensely guilty. The entire reason Scorpius was out for Ravenclaw's final game last season was because of her. During the Slytherin-Ravenclaw game in February, Rose had taken a nasty Bludger to the head and Scorpius, being the closest to her when it happened, had recklessly went after her as she fell head-first off her broom. They both ended up on the ground of the pitch, Rose with a concussion and Scorpius with a broken collarbone and wrist. Rose and Scorpius were in the Hospital Wing for two days. Coincidentally, Jeremy Paulson, the fifth year Slytherin Beater who had aimed the Bludger at Rose, was also in the Hospital Wing. James later told her that Roxanne, full of outrage, had hit Jeremy in the back with her bat.

"Good—about playing again, that is. The lad they replaced you with for the last game was awful," Ron replied. "However, I'm not sure if I should support you attacking one of my many nephews on the Gryffindor team." Scorpius laughed in response.

"Orson was desperate for a Beater, Dad. He didn't have much of a choice. At least Carmilla caught the Snitch in time..." Rose sighed. Orson Coote, their team's Captain, had replaced Scorpius with Phillip Lyne for the last game of the season. Rose thought Phillip was sweet; however he is also known as the clumsiest resident of Ravenclaw House. On more than one occasion Rose had watched as he walked through the common room with his arms full of art supplies, only to trip on a chair and end up sprawled on the floor and covered in paint. During their final game against Hufflepuff, the Ravenclaw Chasers were more concerned with being hit by Phillip than they were about trying to score against the other team. Carmilla raced to catch the Snitch and end the game 160-140.

"Lyne won't be joining us again this year, and that's all that matters," Scorpius said with a smile. "I'll be back on the pitch protecting our amazing Chasers from the big bad Bludgers." He patted Rose on the head and she snorted.

"Rose! Scorpius!" Albus came running up to the duo, panting. "I've been looking all over the bloody platform for you."

"Language, Albus," Hermione chided gently. Albus jumped—he apparently hadn't noticed the several adults standing around his friends. His cheeks reddened and he ducked his head.

"Sorry," Albus mumbled in response to his aunt. He looked around sheepishly. "Oh! Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. Thanks for letting Scorpius come over the other day."

Astoria Malfoy gave Albus a gentle smile. "You're welcome—although Draco and I should be thanking you and your parents for letting him stay with you for the week. And for making sure he bought his supplies for the year." Scorpius rolled his eyes.

"Mum, you know I would never skip the opportunity for a lengthy visit to Diagon Alley," Scorpius said with a sigh. Rose frowned and pinched him.

"Be nice. You know you loved the chaos of the Weasley family in Diagon Alley," Rose chided him. Astoria chuckled.

"Thank you, Rose. It's nice to know that Scorpius' friends care about him." Rose blushed at Astoria's comment and Albus laughed.

"We can't cause mayhem without him, Mrs. Malfoy. Speaking of mayhem…that game when Ravenclaw almost lost to Hufflepuff last term…such an embarrassment to call these two my friends," Albus piped up from Scorpius' side. Rose and Scorpius exchanged a look.

"Just because our excellent Chasers scored all those points against your sorry excuse of a Keeper, doesn't mean you should be cheering for _Hufflepuff_, Albus," Scorpius said with mock shock.

"Yeah, Albus. And just because Carmella spotted the Snitch before you—" Rose began, but was interrupted as James crashed into her.

"Rosie! Be a dear and hide me for a moment," James said as he ducked between Rose and Scorpius. He nervously looked over his shoulder.

"Who are you hiding from?" Rose asked her cousin. "And you know, hiding behind two fourth years who are shorter than you isn't going to help," she added.

"If you must know, I'm hiding from your pratty team Captain," James replied, his face reddening. "The wanker won't leave me alone!"

"Coote's bothering you?" Scorpius said surprised. "Maybe he's just trying to give you some tips—you know, on how to block a Quaffle." He smirked at James, who glared at him in return.

"Aw, Scorpius, we shouldn't make fun of James' weaknesses. We should be thanking him for his continued support of Ravenclaw's Chasers. With James as Keeper, I believe I can set a record by the time he graduates," Rose giggled. In the last two seasons, Rose had made it her goal to score as many times as possible when they played Gryffindor. It was almost as if she had a personal vendetta against James, who was increasingly frustrated that his little cousin was one of the best Chasers in the school. It was one of the few things the two cousins ever argued about.

Harry and Ginny appeared behind Albus with Lily and Hugo in tow. "Al, James, it's about time you lot got on the train." He looked up and saw Draco and Astoria, greeting them with a brief nod. Ginny gave Astoria a bright smile and a tiny wave.

Rose hugged her mother and father. "Be careful in your first match, Rosie," Ron whispered to her. "No more Hospital Wing visits for a few terms, alright?"

"You know I'll try," Rose mumbled into Ron's shoulder. Rose watched as Ron and Scorpius exchanged another handshake. Ron said something to the younger boy, but Rose didn't hear it.

A few more goodbyes and soon Rose, Albus, and Scorpius found themselves alone in a train compartment. Rose was cooing over Nestor, slipping the sleepy owl an owl pellet before hanging his cage on a nearby hook. Scorpius and Albus sat across from her.

"So, Rosie," Albus started, a small grin on his face. "How did Uncle Ron take to you having a boyfriend?" He snickered into his hand.

Rose narrowed her eyes at him. "Dad likes Brennan just fine, Albus. He did go to school with Mr. Finnegan, after all."

"He found out Brennan plays Wizard Chess, didn't he," Albus said. It was well-known in the Weasley family that if you wanted to win over Ron you had two options: the Chudley Cannons or Wizard's Chess.

Rose shook her head in exasperation. "You know, Al, you're getting more like James every day." Albus' face blanched. Before he could reply, Rose faced Scorpius. "And what was my dad telling you before we left?"

Scorpius' face flushed and his gaze went to the floor briefly before returning to Rose. "Your dad asked that I make sure to keep you from falling off your broom this season."

Rose groaned and rolled her eyes. "I can't believe him—that was a onetime thing! Besides, every other family member on one of the teams has landed in the Hospital Wing at least once. I'm fourteen, I'm—"

"Too old to be fussed over," Albus cut in. He reached across the compartment to pat Rose's knee for a moment. "_We know_, Rosie. Uncle Ron's just overprotective. Hugo doesn't play at school, so all his worrying is spent on you."

"He just had to play chess and sing," Rose grumbled. Although her younger brother would sometimes join a game of Quidditch at home, Hugo showed no interest in playing for the Gryffindor team. Instead he chose to join the Wizard's Chess Team and the Choir Club, which meant Rose was the only member of their immediate family who was on a house team. It also meant that instead of dividing his worry between two children, Ron focused it all on Rose.

"Since we're on the topic of Quidditch, guess who's trying out for the team this year?" Albus asked.

"Your sister," Scorpius replied casually.

"What? When did Lily tell you?" Albus asked. He had planned on trying to surprise the two and the disappointment showed a bit on his face.

"She's only been going on about trying out since last year, Al. And Ruth Jordan graduated, right? So there's a Chaser spot open on the team," Rose replied. Albus sighed.

"Typical Ravenclaws," Albus muttered under his breath. "You know Jordan made Freddie Captain?" Rose and Scorpius' eyebrows shot up.

"What? It wasn't Wood or Thomas?" Scorpius asked incredulously.

Albus shook his head. "She said it came down to a seniority thing and chose Freddie. James was a bit miffed at him for it, though. He said all this stuff about Freddie not having enough drive or commitment to be Captain…Mum gave him a huge telling off for it."

"Is that why James and Freddie weren't talking to each other?" Rose asked. She had noticed James avoiding Fred at her birthday party in July. At Albus' birthday a few days prior, James had still been ignoring Fred, even when the older boy went and tried to seek him out. Most of the family had no idea what was going on, and those that did just told everyone else to stay out of it.

"Yeah," Albus nodded. "Fred tied to go talk to James, but James avoided him the entire time." Albus let out a long sigh. "I really wish he'd grow up and accept it—Fred wasn't my first choice, either, but I'm not going to pitch a fit over it."

There was a small knock on the compartment door and Brennan Finnegan poked his head in, looking uncertain. "Should I come in? You all look like you're having a serious conversation."

Rose immediately brightened and stood, pulling her boyfriend into the compartment. "Brennan!" She wrapped her arms around Brennan, who was now quite a bit taller than Rose, and sighed happily when he returned the hug. Albus and Scorpius made gagging motions behind her, earning a chuckle from Brennan.

"Hello, Rose," Brennan greeted her with a chaste peck on the lips, and Albus saw his cousin's ears turn bright pink as her boyfriend released her. Rose resumed sitting in her previous spot and Brennan took the seat next to her.

"Hello, Finnegan," Albus said.

"It's been a while, mate," Scorpius said.

"I only saw you lot the other day at Diagon Alley," Brennan replied as he rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I ran into McManus and he said he'd be over in a few."

"Any sign of Ella?" Rose asked from his side. "I haven't seen her for weeks."

Brennan shook his head. "I haven't seen sign of either of the Boot twins."

"Oh, I know where Edgar is, mate," a voice said from the door. The small group of friends looked up from their conversation to see Shiloh McManus grinning at them. "He's currently snogging Jean Hall in the next car over." He entered the compartment, motioning to a figure behind him. Rose's face lit up—Ella Boot was there, a light flush to her face.

"Ella!" Rose exclaimed, standing up to embrace her friend and roommate quickly before resuming her seat next to Brennan. Shiloh followed Ella into the compartment and took the spare seat next to Albus.

"Isn't Hall a Fifth Year?" Albus asked Shiloh. The other boy nodded.

"How do they know each other?" Rose asked.

"They're both Gryffindors," Ella mentioned casually. "Edgar and Jean are also both in Charms Club."

"You know," Albus addressed Ella, looking thoughtful. "It's sort of odd to not have you both in the compartment this year."

Ella shrugged and pulled out a Divination book. "Just because we're twins doesn't mean we're attached at the hip, Albus. We've always been two separate people. And I spent all summer with my brother, so it's only fair that I allow him and Jean to catch up." She shot Albus a look that said she knew what he was about to ask her. "They began exchanging letters at the beginning of summer but weren't calling themselves a couple until last week—Edgar wanted to wait until our mother was out of the hospital."

"Your mum was in Saint Mungo's again?" Rose asked with concern.

"Yes. It was nothing to worry too much over, however. She was admitted for exhaustion due to working too hard. Dad had Edgar and I take turns watching her to make sure she wasn't trying to work while the Healer ordered her to be on bed rest." Ella smiled apologetically at Rose. "Sorry if it seemed like I was ignoring your letters. Any time Edgar or I turned around, mum was trying to sneak off. By the time I was able to write, we were only a few days away from seeing each other…I thought I'd wait to see you in person."

"Thank you," Rose replied. "I'm just glad your mum wasn't injured again." Since the two girls had met during first year, Ella and Edgar's mother Fay had been admitted to St. Mungo's more than half a dozen times. It wasn't unusual to see Professors Longbottom or Flitwick escorting the Boot twins to Headmistress Vector's office and later hear that they had been taken to St. Mungo's to visit their mother. Albus once mentioned that his father said Fay Boot obtained more injuries on the job than most Aurors their age, but she was also too stubborn to keep herself out of danger.

"It's a bit admirable that your mum is so dedicated to her work," Shiloh commented from across the compartment. As Ella thanked him a small blush crept over Shiloh's face. Albus chuckled—Shiloh blushed more than any of the Weasley clan. In return, Shiloh elbowed Albus in the ribs.

"Let's play Snap, mates," Albus addressed Scorpius and Shiloh, pulling a pack from his back pocket. Ella had gone back to her book and Rose was in quiet conversation with Brennan about their respective summers.

Brennan slung an arm around Rose, who leaned into him, closing her eyes. "I missed you, you know," he murmured into her ear. His warm breath sent a pleasant shiver across her skin. Rose didn't need to look at him to know that Brennan was smiling. She hummed in response.

"You saw me in Diagon Alley with the boys the other day," she replied quietly, opening her eyes to briefly glance at their friends, who all seemed to be off in their own conversation.

Rose felt Brennan squeeze her shoulders. "But we were under adult supervision," he chuckled next to her ear. She twisted in her seat to place a hand on his chest.

"Well, we aren't right now, are we?" Rose asked with a small smile. As Brennan tilted his head towards hers, they were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat.

"Finnegan, get your hands off my cousin," Albus said, shooting a glare at the couple. "I don't want to see it." Rose sighed and sat back, leaning her head against the wall of the compartment. Although he had originally been excited for Rose, Albus was prone to becoming overprotective whenever she and Brennan acted as a couple in front of him.

"Want to play chess then, Rose?" Brennan asked her. Rose nodded and he pulled a small Travelling Wizard's Chess set from his bag.

"Scorpius, you mind switching seats with me?" Rose asked, poking Scorpius in the knee to get his attention.

"Not a problem," Scorpius replied. As Rose moved to sit across from him, Brennan finished setting up the board, gesturing for Rose to make the first move. The two quickly become absorbed in the game, and it takes Albus several tries to get Rose's attention. He finally succeeded by jabbing her in the ribs.

"Albus! What is wrong with you?" Rose asked, twisting in her seat to glare at her cousin.

Albus simply rolled his eyes in response. "James is here for you, Rosie."

In fact, James Potter had been standing in the open doorway for over a minute without Rose noticing him at all. When she did look at him, he sent her his trademark grin. "Rosie-Red, Roxanne and I were merely wondering if you'd like to spend some quality time with your superior cousins," James said, ignoring the scoff that came from Albus.

Rose stared at him for a moment, her eyes briefly flickering to Brennan before resting again on James'. He seemed to read her mind. "It's alright if you'd rather not, Rose, but we do have a bit of a tradition, yeah?" James shook his head for a moment and seemed to have a brief staring match with his shoes before meeting Rose's gaze again. "I'd just like to have a word with you, is all."

"Oh," Rose replied. She blinked a few times and wondered what had sobered James up—he had just been running around complaining about Orson Coote an hour prior. "I'll be right with you then, James." Rose gave Brennan an apologetic glance and reached across the table to give his hand a squeeze. "I'll be right back to win another round," she said with a smile as she instructed her Queen to take his King.

After Rose exited the compartment with James, Shiloh let out a long sigh. "Every year's the same with that one." Brennan shot him a glare, but the other boy ignored it.

"What do you think James wants with her?" Scorpius asked Albus. He received a shrug in response.

"I don't know, mate. It looks like James wanted to talk to her about something serious. Normally he makes up a pathetic excuse for her to talk to him—'Roxie needs you,' 'We're debating over your mother's translation of these runes,' and things like that." Albus let out a frustrated sigh.

"You jealous, Al?" Shiloh asked. Albus shot him a glare and threw a card at him.

"I'm not jealous of James," Albus replied hotly, but his body language suggested the opposite.

"Hey, mate—I understand. Sometimes brothers don't want to talk to you about their problems, so they go elsewhere," Shiloh said. "Corwin and Efron never tell me what's going on with them—they'd rather have it out with friends—but I try not to take it personally. It's just a bit odd for you because Rose is friends with you and your brother." Shiloh scratched his chin. "Well, and she's a bird—and your cousin, so I guess it's more than a bit odd."

Albus shoved Shiloh's shoulder. "And I was almost thinking you were capable of being mature," he replied with a small grin.

Scorpius glanced at Brennan, who was frowning at the chess board. "You alright, Bren?"

Brennan turned to look at Scorpius with a pained expression. "Let's talk later, okay, mate?" He went back to studying the chess board, and Scorpius briefly wondered if Brennan would actually tell him what was going on later. He sighed inwardly.

The trolley cart had gone and passed by the time Rose returned to their compartment. As was now considered tradition, Albus had purchased Chocolate Frogs for his favorite cousin, although he complained about her supposed preference for James for a few minutes afterward. Scorpius had joined Shiloh and Albus in another round of Exploding Snap while Brennan and Ella lost themselves in books.

"Sorry I missed the trolley again, dearest cousin," Rose said to Albus as she resumed her seat, hands full of Chocolate Frogs. Albus glanced up to see his cousin taking Brennan's hand from across the small counter. "I'm back," she whispered to Brennan, but only received a grunt in reply. Albus tried to ignore the hurt look on Rose's face and turned back to the game.

"What did the Elder Potter want?" Shiloh asked Rose, rubbing soot from his forehead after another card exploded in his hand.

"Information on the inner workings of the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team," Rose deadpanned. Seeing Shiloh's gobsmacked expression, she grinned. "It's actually a bit of a secret between the two of us—and Roxanne, I suppose."

"Roxanne?" Albus asked, his curiosity peaking. "I thought James wanted to talk to you alone?"

Rose crossed her arms for a brief moment. "Well, we were talking alone—we went into an empty compartment, but Roxanne saw us and walked in during the middle of it." She frowned and chewed on her lip for a moment. "So of course we had to fill her in, you know how Roxie can be."

"And what were you talking about?" Albus raised an eyebrow at his cousin, and Rose swore by the intensity of his gaze that it almost seemed as if he was trying to pull off Legilimency. She met his gaze easily with one full of stubborn resolve.

"Like I said, it's between the three of us, and it's not my place to say, Albus," Rose replied through her teeth. Her whole body radiated defensiveness, and Albus decided to let the topic drop in fear of sending her into a fit.

"Whatever," he mumbled.

"Care for a round of snap, Rose?" Scorpius asked. Rose shook her head.

"Mind switching back, though, Scorpius?" Rose stood and she and Scorpius exchanged seats so she was once again sitting next to Brennan. He looked up from his book and caught Rose's eye. She smiled tentatively at him.

"Game in the common room tonight?" Brennan asked her with a whisper, his right hand coming down to rest on Rose's knee.

"Of course," Rose smiled warmly at him, taking Brennan's hand into her own and resting her head on his shoulder. Albus glanced at the couple and made a gagging sound but was quickly quieted with a well-aimed kick from Rose.

Albus rubbed his shin and sent a half-hearted glare at his cousin, who had begun lazily reading Brennan's book from her spot on his shoulder. Rose's eyelids began dropping, and Albus suddenly felt an elbow in his side from Shiloh. He looked at Shiloh, who had a gleeful look on his face.

"See, mate?" Shiloh whispered. "Same Rose Weasley, every year." Albus clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: As the kids get older, we can't expect them all to hang around the same compartment all the time, right? Right. There's boyfriends and girlfriends and other friendship circles about!**

**And 'Express Universe' is totally a cool name for all the related, same timeline stories, yeah? Because I've been saying that name to myself a bunch and I think I'll stick with it.**


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